all you need to get organized and stay that way

June 2007

June 15, 2007

I am always going on about getting rid of stuff, but sometimes you really do need to keep things around. I will admit to keeping rubber bands, disposable chopsticks, gift boxes boxes, etc., because I really do use those things all the time (I swear). The only way I can keep them from reproducing out of control is to set very clear limits on how much I should keep. If you don't corral things they will just take over and you will end up with a truly ridiculous amount of stuff.

Let's say you want to keep some gift boxes. Chances are you have lots of them left over from holidays and birthdays, but you don't want to throw them away because they seem so useful. Before you haul out all the boxes you have, stop and think about how much space you are willing to devote to keeping them. A shoe box? A drawer? A storage box? Once you decide the amount of space that is practical for you, don't allow yourself to keep any more than will fit in that space. And be reasonable with yourself. If you say you need to keep a refrigerator box full of them even if you only ever give gift certificates, that's just silly. If you are in doubt, always go for keeping less because it's not like those things are made of solid gold and you'll never find another one.

The nice thing about this approach is that if something nicer comes in, the least useful/attractive thing gets to find a new home, and eventually you will have only the cream of the crop.

Let's take a moment to admire some organizing success. This person's gift box collection fits only in this storage container, and whatever doesn't fit has to go. Brava.

June 13, 2007

For those of you trying to get rid of all the junk er, good stuff lying around your home, here are some ideas. This is for stuff that is still good, but not really worth a lot of money. (If you have things you would rather sell, check out the first post on "alternatives to trash.")

1) Freecycle. This is a list like Craigslist, except everything is free. I've used this a lot, and people are always excited to get something they want for free. I once gave away a computer so old that it used floppies, and the woman who took it was practically in tears she was so happy. (I guess you never know what people will want.) Oh, and this list also includes wanted items, so you might want to scan those and see if someone wants something you are willing to part with.

2) Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other charities. They are just about everywhere, and if you have a lot to give away, they will even bring a truck to your house and take everything away for you. This helped me enormously when I moved last time, but you do have to call a few weeks in advance because their trucks have particular routes they follow according to the calendar (at least they did in my area).

3) Shelters (Women's shelters, homeless shelters, etc.). These places probably need lots of things, and you can feel good about helping others while you get rid of the excess in your home. You probably should call first to see if they need what you have, or if you have what they need.

4) Ye Olde "Put and Take" Not every town has one of these, but they are fabulous. It is a table or some other designated area, usually at a recycling center, where you are free to leave items and/or to take items you like. The one my mom uses is so popular that they even have a limit on the number of things you can take. An alternative to the put and take: stick your item out on the street with a sign that says "free." Not every neighborhood will allow this, but if you live in a college town your stuff will be gone before you even get back inside your house.

June 12, 2007

Since I live in a tiny apartment, I am the queen of using dead space. One of my very favorite storage ideas is using the bottom of a table to to hide tissues, wipes, newspapers, and other stuff that tends to accumulate on the table top.

As you can see, my table is quite tiny:
and a box of tissues would just take up half the surface space. But with a toddler around I always need tissues and wet wipes, so I just stuck them under the table instead.

On one side I used a piece of wide elastic and stapled it to the underside of the table, which allows me to put just about anything in that spot (different sizes of tissue boxes, newspapers, magazines, etc.).

In another spot I have a refillable box, so I attached a wide piece of velcro to the box and to the table.

For people with tables nicer than mine, you can also take a piece of cardboard, poster board, or other thick paper and slide it into the tiny space between the legs and the table top. (A lot of times there is some support piece there, and there is usually enough room to slip something in.) Then you can attach your elastic or velcro to the paper and not to your table. This is great for coffee tables too, because no matter how pretty they try to make those tissue boxes, they are still kind of ugly. The one downside to this solution: you will have to show your guests where the tissues are.

Side note: Surprisingly, my 2 year old daughter shows no interest in these boxes even though they are tantalizingly within reach. I guess with the chairs pushed in she can't really see them?

June 11, 2007

It is easy to say you want to get rid of stuff, but most people get stuck when they actually have to physically dispose of an item. Most of the things we keep in our homes are not really "trash," so it feels wasteful to just throw them away. So, to avoid feeling guilty about being wasteful we just hang on to everything, and then our homes start to overflow with perfectly usable but unwanted items.

For the next few posts I'll try to offer some alternatives to throwing things away. If other people have more ideas I would love to hear them!

Today: getting rid of stuff that is valuable but not useful to you:

1) Craigslist. This is kind of like having a garage sale, except without all the work. You can just sell one item at a time, and depending on where you live, you could be counting your cash within the day. I used Craigslist a lot before we moved the last time, and I was amazed at how quickly and easily I was able to sell stuff. I would recommend including at least one photo in your posting, and try to be realistic about your asking price. For some guidelines on pricing, I have used this site.

Also, keep in mind that people will need to meet you in person to make the sale, so please be on your guard. Some people may say they want to look at the table you are selling, but they may be scoping out your home to see what else they might like to have for free. I always met people outside my apartment building when selling small things, and I always had someone else at home besides me when selling furniture. I have never had a bad experience, but it doesn't hurt to play it safe.

2) eBay. This takes a little more work than Craigslist because you have to register on the site and eventually ship your item, but you'll get the best price for it, especially if it is something collectible or valuable. I would use eBay for selling jewelry and other more expensive stuff, DVDs, anything with a designer brand, things that have a limited but enthusiastic audience (e.g. ballroom dance shoes or anime action figures), etc. If you decide to use eBay, I would also recommend that you state explicitly whether or not you will accept returns. Some people like to shop on eBay like it's a catalog, and for me it's just too much of a hassle to deal with returns and reposting the item for auction.

2.5) eBay trading assistants. If it's too much trouble for you to sell on eBay yourself, you can always use a service that will do it for you. They will take a small percentage from the sale, but for a lot of people it is worth it not to have to deal with the hassle. Just do a google search for ebay trading assistants.

3) Amazon. If you've got books (or other stuff) that are in good condition or rare, Amazon can help you get rid of them. Just do a search for the book you have, and then list your book there. You can't expect a lot of money for them, especially because of the shipping, but at least it's better then nothing, and you know your book is going to someone who really wants it.

4) Somebody else's garage sale: because having your own is way too much of a hassle (at least I think so!). A lot of times you can find a community sale where lots of families or even a whole neighborhood are joining together, and those sales get a lot of traffic. If you don't personally know anyone who is having a sale, you might just call someone whose sale is listed in the newspaper and ask if you can add a few things (and maybe offer a percentage in exchange). Most people would be happy to help, and that way you can find a place to sell stuff closer to home.

If you really want to try it yourself, I thought this website had some good sale guidelines.

5) Your local thrift shop or consignment store. I can't give you a whole lot information on these because each one is different, but a quick search online or a scan through your phone book should give you at least a few possibilities. If you stop by the shop you can see what kind of things are likely to sell there, also. If you have any designer or retro items this might be a good option. Just remember to keep your consignment receipt or you may never get anything for all your effort.

6) A generous gift. If you are feeling generous, some charities would be more than happy to take your valuable items (see Kidney cars). Of course, you should call before you schlep the thing over just in case they aren't equipped to deal with that kind of donation. You could also consider young people you know who are just starting out at college or in the work force and who would be estatic to have that 15 year old microwave. They are probably already doing a lot of shopping at flea markets and consignment shops, so why not save them a few bucks and cut out the middle man? You'll probably want to ask them first if they want the thing, but you may be surprised at their reaction. I once witnessed tears, TEARS of joy when a young college student received a used colander. Apparently she had been straining her spaghetti in less effective ways, but that's a story for another day.

Next time: getting rid of the less valuable (but still good!) things you no longer want.

June 08, 2007

Have you ever how ridiculous the closets are in magazines and organizing catalogs? They have about 10 articles of clothing that are off-white or some subtle pastel shade, and there are about 2 inches between each of the hangers. Who lives like that? The closets look nice, but if anyone really lived like that they would have to be the worst dressed people you ever met. Now, I am assuming you are a normal person, and you have clothes in more than two colors. And, if you are like a lot of people, your clothes are just stuffed into the closet willy-nilly so that you can't really see what you have. Here are some things you can do to get your closet in order without having to invest huge amounts of time.

Step 1: Get hangers that are all the same. It makes your closet look organized with minimal effort and without the agony of having to get rid of stuff. It doesn't really matter what kind you get, but since you are going to the trouble to get new hangers you might as well get some durable ones that won't damage your clothes. The Container Store has lots online, and I am seriously considering getting some "Huggable Hangers." (Has anyone tried those?) Whatever you do, just don't use wire hangers. They are evil.

Step 2: Organize your clothes by type (pants, skirts, long-sleeved shirts, short-sleeved shirts, etc.). I know, you are going to tell me that I am completely anal for this, but there is a method to my madness. If you put all your pants together in the closet, you may suddenly realize that you have 12 pairs of black pants and it would be easy to get rid of a few (i.e. 10). It also keeps you from buying another pair of black pants the next time you're at the mall. And, the next time you are looking for something you will know right where it is.

Step 3: if you're really inspired you can organize those subcategories by color. I'll admit, even I thought this was pretty extreme when I first heard about it, but trust me, it really does make your closet look like a boutique clothing store. Plus, you can find what you are looking for in seconds rather than rifling through your whole closet.

Voilà! From disaster to order in 3 easy steps, and you didn't even have to get rid of anything (which you should, but that's for another post).